Climate Risk Concern in an Alpine Community

Global warming caused by human activities has become a main topic in scientific as well as in policy debate (Schneider, 1989; Cline, 1991; IPCC, 1991; Stern et al., 1992). The facts that concentration of CO₂ increased by about 25 per cent and of CH₄ by 100 per cent since the begining of the industrial era, and that these increases have been caused by human activities are not controversial. The same is true for the assessment of the effects of CFCs. There is general agreement that CFCs have contributed about 25 per cent to the total radiative effect in the last ten years. It is also a recognized fact that over 50 per cent of greenhouse gas warming stems from CO₂, that is, from the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. What is controversial, however, is how the enhanced greenhouse effect will influence temperature, rain-patterns, storm activities, sea level, permafrost, soil moisture, and other parameters (for a review see Dickinson, 1989).